Citroenmads Citroen blog.

[CitroJim]

Excellent stuff Chris

That is odd on the HG Just have to see how it goes...

That dash. Proper old school. I love it Bit of class there!

[Northern_Mike]

Thing is Chris, it's good to have a change of scenery every now and again...

In another life I'd have been very tempted to have got hold of the Fraud Focus Chris570 is peddling just for a change of spanner fodder...

Still am actually..

Hope the 75 arrived OK

Buy it Jim and get it fixed! You know you want to...

[Northern_Mike]

Well its been a reasonably good day for the Rover but if anything I'm even more puzzled!

I thought it would be a good idea to take it for an MOT to see what it needs, apart from the headgasket repair etc. Im not exactly sure how long it has been off the road for, the MOT expired in Obtober 2012 and when Ive checked on the DVLA the TAX expired in Feb 2012. However, I believe if you cash in the road tax that it reverts to the previous date. So it could have been off the road 2-3 months or a year, who knows. It doesnt appear to have been stood very long and the battery is still very good. I do know its only done 4,000 miles since the last MOT.

That looks spot on Chris, congratulations. I hope it's something simple, and not a full HG job. You should be well pleased with that! I'm not a huge fan of them myself, I've been in a couple over the years. I can see why they would appeal though.

I'm thinking of a departure/addition myself now the neighbours are going! I think I'll have to hire a lock-up somewhere local..

[CitroJim]

No room Mike... I have a two car drive and three cars already

But that's not the real reason...

I'm taking life very gently at the moment and keeping all temptation like that at bay as I'm concerned it just might cause a setback.

Critical timing just now too. I start back to work full-time Monday week so I need to carry on taking life very gently and carefully; touch-wood it's working. You can tell that by how active I am on here and Club-XM these days

I'm not going to take any risks and even though my heart says get the Focus and sort it my head is over-ruling me...

So what are you looking to get as a 'departure' then Mike?

[myglaren]

That dash. Proper old school. I love it Bit of class there!

It's the same as Laura's. Very nice, I always thought.
I'm slightly dismayed that I never bought it off her - at least she would have got a better price for it.

Chris! Nearside headlight bulbs are deadly simple to do, a trapdoor in the wheelarch.
Offside is a nightmare, trapdoor just the same but virtually impossible to see what you are doing. C5s are easier
Pleased to hear that there seems to be very little to do on it. Kind of spoils the fixer-upper part of it though. I'm sure you will love driving it.

[Deanxm]

There is no real way to know if it has badly overheated until the head is off

Yes there is, it will pressure the coolant in seconds as the liners sink into the block when overheated and the heat will aneal the head which makes the fire ring of the HG sink into the head destroying it, this only happens when overheated after driving with a leaking head gasket which always starts off mixing oil and water, the engine will be junk if this happens, done loads now.

Was it missing a bit when you first got it? ive had one before where the head was done but the followers were not emptied of oil on re assembly, this means they hold the valves off the seats by some considerable margin and it runs like a bag of whatsits, let it sit with the cam in different positions to hold the valves open thus straining the followers and squeezing the oil out of them overnight and hey presto all will be fixed, of course the guy that done the head may not have known this and put it back together only for it to barely start and run like a bag of nails.

The other thing to watch for is it may have been pumped full of 'K' seal which will hold it together for a while.

D

[Northern_Mike]

No room Mike... I have a two car drive and three cars already

But that's not the real reason...

I'm taking life very gently at the moment and keeping all temptation like that at bay as I'm concerned it just might cause a setback.

I'm not going to take any risks and even though my heart says get the Focus and sort it my head is over-ruling me...

So what are you looking to get as a 'departure' then Mike?

I know Jim, I'm only winding you up. I'm glad to hear it seems to be having some sort of positive effect.

Departure? The Berlingo will be staying (I REALLY NEED TO DO THE BRAKES but my driveway slopes) as it's too good and useful for kiddy carrying. I love driving it, it's good fun. The C5 will be staying unless someone makes me an offer I can't resist. It's not as much a proper Citroen as the others, but I think it's a better car for it. I finally felt "at one" with it only last night when I was hammering it over the tops to work. It really does handle and grip well, even if it is lacking a little ooomph. I imagine a V6 suits it very well...

The three wheeler is on it's way back from Greece, so I intend to get more use out of that once it's MOT'd in the spring/summer. That'll be in a friend's lockup when it's not being used.

So, that leaves room for another toy. I want something brash and quick. I see 90s BMW 328i Coupes can be had for buttons these days, I quite fancy one of them for a few months...

[Citroenmad]

There is no real way to know if it has badly overheated until the head is off

Yes there is, it will pressure the coolant in seconds as the liners sink into the block when overheated and the heat will aneal the head which makes the fire ring of the HG sink into the head destroying it, this only happens when overheated after driving with a leaking head gasket which always starts off mixing oil and water, the engine will be junk if this happens, done loads now.

Was it missing a bit when you first got it? ive had one before where the head was done but the followers were not emptied of oil on re assembly, this means they hold the valves off the seats by some considerable margin and it runs like a bag of whatsits, let it sit with the cam in different positions to hold the valves open thus straining the followers and squeezing the oil out of them overnight and hey presto all will be fixed, of course the guy that done the head may not have known this and put it back together only for it to barely start and run like a bag of nails.

The other thing to watch for is it may have been pumped full of 'K' seal which will hold it together for a while.

D

Thanks dean I was considering having the cam cover off at the weekend so I shall do that.

Yes, it was missing a bit at first and was difficult to start at first, but it starts like you would expect it to now.

Cant fault it otherwise, there is no mixing of the water/oil and no pressurising either.

It does appear to be as you say it might be, Im thinking the HG has been done recently but left a poor running engine so perhaps the owner has just traded it in.

The system seems quite clean and no evidence of K seal being used that I can find, so im hoping that is not the case.

[Citroenmad]

Well I was quite shocked to open the Citroenian yesterday to find my C5 taking up the front page!

This is the full picture:


My C5 is still in winter mode, with its winter tyres and is providing a superby stable and grippy experience in all of this snow. We had quite a bit more last night. I have now got my C5 advertised for sale however.

I think I may have gone half way to finding the compression problem with the 75. It would seem that the timing is out. I've only checked the top two cams but they appear a tooth out, Ill have the lower cover off tomorrow and set it up properly to check it. If it needs adjusting and if im feeling brave, I'll adjust it. If not it will be going to a Rover specialist who will do the timing

This is the top two cams. As you can see from the inlet lines on the right of each cam, they dont point in quite the same direction. Well, you only really need to look at the cams to see that it looks a tooth out.


Its certainly among the smoothest and quietest K series engines I've heard. Which is odd, given that it has a problem.

Today Ive replaced the track rod end, swapped the matched Goodyears to the front as odd front tyres on the front dont sit well with me. Ive also checked the air intake pipework (shannon tube) as they can deteriorate, this one is fine. Fixed the battery in which I didn't realise was loose and done a little bit of cleaning. Tomorrow Ill be having a look at the exhaust, fitting the CV boot and hopefully checking the timing properly.

It's going in for the two brake pipes to be replaced and an MOT restest on Tuesday, so I need to get the timing done for then.

[Hell Razor5543]

It looks like you are having fun with the 75 (and, again, I mean that in a nice way).

[red_dwarfers]

It was a nice surprise seeing your car on the front cover and even more so when I spotted another from when we went through that Ford on the Wrexham moor, I love that stretch of road!

[CitroJim]

Well done for that Chris... It is a lovely picture

Not seen mine yet...

I expect the postman is having a crafty read before he lets me have it...

[Citroenmad]

I have finished the jobs for the 75's MOT and have redone the timing, which was a tooth out. Compressions are now what they should be and its engine runs like a dream. Hopefully it will sail through its retest on Tuesday and then it will be taxed and in use.

It looks like you are having fun with the 75 (and, again, I mean that in a nice way).

I really am actually Its very easy to work on and nice to have something a bit different from what I'm used to.

It was a nice surprise seeing your car on the front cover and even more so when I spotted another from when we went through that Ford on the Wrexham moor, I love that stretch of road!

It is an excellent piece of road, must go again sometime! Yep, that is your photography at work in that picture Kev

Well done for that Chris... It is a lovely picture

Not seen mine yet...

I expect the postman is having a crafty read before he lets me have it...

No doubt! Hopefully he will have it read before too long

[CitroJim]

Excellent news on the 75 Chris and good work on doing the timing Fingers crossed for the MOT

[Citroenmad]

Excellent news on the 75 Chris and good work on doing the timing Fingers crossed for the MOT

Thanks Jim